Phillies Notes: Kendrick to miss start, get shoulder checked out

Kyle Kendrick is concerned that his poor performances of late might be due to sorenss in his shoulder. He will miss his start against the Marlins Wednesday while he gets an MRI. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

PHILADELPHIA — Kyle Kendrick has had a post-All-Star break performance so lousy that you almost wish there is a physical reason for it.

That is being looked into.

Kendrick has been scratched from his scheduled start today after telling the organization that his right shoulder hasn’t been feeling right. Kendrick was scheduled to have an examination Tuesday night after undergoing an MRI to check for structural problems.

Zach Miner will start Wednesday against the Marlins in a game that will be handled by the bullpen. Although a return hasn’t been ruled out, it would seem pointless to bring Kendrick back for a meaningless game over the final two weeks if his shoulder is even nothing more than tired.

“It’s very cautionary and conservative,” Ryne Sandberg said of the decision to sideline Kendrick. “He has felt something the last few weeks. He just wanted to get peace of mind about it. He was still able to pitch, and could still pitch now. But it was a precautionary move to get him checked out.”

There are reasons why the Phillies shouldn’t feel a pressing need to let Kendrick pitch out the strings — say, his 6.91 ERA in his last 11 starts, during which he hasn’t lasted more than six innings and batters have hit a cool .333 against him.

It’s a striking contrast to the pitcher Kendrick was at the break — a 3.68 ERA, with quality starts in 13 of his 19 appearances. Kendrick declined comment until he had a chance to discuss the MRI results with the doctor.

Sandberg has mentioned that Kendrick’s sinker has had less bite to it of late, but wasn’t going to call this the smoking gun for the pitch’s reduced effectiveness.

“It’s hard to tell. That’s a possibility,” Sandberg said. “It could have had something to do with it. His velocity was still good. He was still able to throw a number of pitches and still pitch with it. It wasn’t a thing that was a concern the last few weeks. At this stage of the season, the organization just felt for his peace of mind to be checked out.”

In most ways, Severino Gonzalez was just another Latino prospect participating in minor-league spring training in March.

The 20-year-old was also a native of Panama. That is the home country of Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz. And that common bond led the veteran to take the skinny pitcher under his wing while away from the ball field for those few weeks.

Once Gonzalez started to pitch in extended spring-training games, it became clear he had a chance to be better than his scheduled assignment to short-season Class A Williamsport hinted. By the time his three-level odyssey ended, he was making a brilliant start for Double-A Reading to punctuate his season.

This week, the Phillies honored Gonzalez as the Paul Owens Award winner as the minor-league pitcher of the year. Joining him at Citizens Bank Park was Maikel Franco, the powerful corner infielder who was named the player of the year.

According to Ray Robles, a coordinator in the Phillies’ international scouting department and Tuesday’s interpreter for the Latino duo, Ruiz had taken Gonzalez to dinner regularly during spring training and offered advice.

“Carlos Ruiz is kind of like a father to me,” Gonzalez said through Robles. “I met him in spring training, and the relationship grew from there.”

Gonzalez is built more like Pedro Martinez, but his nationality brings comparisons to Yankees closer Mariano Rivera. While Gonzalez does have a large repertoire of pitches that dip and dive, it is his control that makes him so appealing and seemingly capable of taking a fast track to the majors. In 103 2/3 innings for three teams this year, he struck out 119 and walked just 22. That included 6 2/3 innings with Reading in his final start, as he allowed just two runs and struck out six while walking none.

Phillies execs have been impressed with Gonzalez’s confidence, with some calling it more of a quiet cockiness. Gonzalez flashed a metallic smile (he wears braces) when asked if he’s a cocky pitcher.

“I concentrate on what I have to do,” he said, “but I feel like I’m the best.”